Making Stainless Steel look like Brass?

I built my dog (well, actually my wife) a feeding station out of bird's eye
maple and walnut. Even my 16 year old son said it was beautiful, and he
doesn't like anything.
The stainless steel bowls look pretty crummy in there. Any ideas for making
them look more like brass (the hinges are brass)? I don't think SS can be
plated, but maybe there is a tinted lacquer or something?
Thanks.

why make those bowls look like brass when there are other bowls you could
get that already look that way?
forget fixing old bowls. start finding new bowls. i suspect glass bowls
would look ok too.
randy

you could mix your own food grade amber shellac with a food grade
alcohol and dip/spray the bowls. it'd probably look like crap. ;)
(also i don't know if shellac is safe for dogs... it's used in some
human foods)

I don't know for sure... have you tried plating it?
(fairly simple to test using a battery, some salt/vinegar, and a
penny.)
replacement bowls as others have suggested seem to be a good option.
you *did* make it able to accept other bowls, yes? ;)
good luck

Good stainless steels will change color when heated. People (such as
knifemakers) who forge steel know this and use the colors to judge
temperature and hardness.
You can achieve a faint to dark straw color that is semi-permanent by
heating the steel between 350 and 500 degrees fahrenheit. This can be
done in your kitchen oven. It's not a true brass color, but it might
work for your purposes.
Check out the chart at the bottom of this page:
http://www.knives.com/heatreat.html
-chib

Just be aware that the color is a surface oxide only. It scratches
easily and will eventually wear away. The colors from straw to blue are
semi-permanent. Beyond blue (and gray) the colors are incandescent and
will cool to black.
Start at 350 degrees and watch the steel closely in the oven. Ramp up
the temperature 25 degrees at a time and hold for 10 minutes until you
see the color you want. Then stop and hold the steel at that
temperature for an hour or so. Remove from oven and let cool naturally
to room temperature. Do not quench the hot steel in water.
You can test this process with an old stainless butter knife or similar
object before doing your bowls.
I'm also thinking of your dogs here. Heat-colored steel is no more
toxic than the steel itself, whereas some other coating might not be as
benign.
-chib

Conversely, what would be the best way to *remove* the straw color from
stainless steel? The brushed SS hood on my gas grill has turned this
color, but I've been afraid to "attack" it with anything.
TIA

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